Pulse stretching has been known in the past for high power pulsed DUV lasers such as are used for integrated circuit manufacturing photolithography processes as a photoresist exposure light source, as is shown, e.g., in the above referenced co-pending Ser. No. 11/805,583 patent application. With increasing pulse energy requirements to meet higher average power requirements, e.g., for new immersion lithography processes used to extend the DUV wavelength light source scanner capabilities to smaller CD nodes, there has developed a need for improved pulse stretching, which at the same time for economic and other reasons there is a need to keep the pulse stretcher in essentially the same footprint as in earlier laser light source systems. According to aspects of embodiments of the disclosed subject matter applicants propose a solution to this dilemma. Similarly Applicants' assignee has chosen to utilize a power amplification stage such as is disclosed in the above referenced co-pending Ser. No. 11/787,180 patent application. Certain optical considerations such as complex alignment issues have led applicants to propose, according to aspects of embodiments of the disclosed subject matter to solutions to problems arising from those considerations.